An Uninvited Ginger
by JunoInferno
Summary: An unexpected guest arrives to meet the Doctor and Donna on a certain Ginger Time Baby's birthday. Who is she and who or what is trying to push them together?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, the Doctor, Donna, Amy Rory or Winnie the Pooh. They all belong to other people.

This is the first part of a new series with heavy emphasis on Ginger Time Babies. It is also pretty much AU, I mean do I have to say that? Does it help people? It should not really bear any resemblance to Series Five or Six, except for the presence of Amy and Rory. Please let me know what you think and enjoy.

* * *

><p>Amy Pond went to the front door to collect her mail. She picked it up to find the usual assortment of bills, catalogs and another blue envelope.<p>

It was always the same color, the same shade of blue. She had followed them before and they led to nowhere. Well, almost, they led to her being around when something strange happened in London. The first had been the day of the Dalek invasion and the planets in the sky when it led her to an old man with plans to take out them out with a paint ball gun. The next time had been Christmas Eve of the same year where she was led to an ordinary street being quarantined by the army or something. Then they consistently led her to a park nearby the same street. Most people would have just given up, but the next time was in the middle of the 456 incident, by the same house and then a series of directions around London like a scavenger hunt. Then the strangest one was the most recent Christmas and a request to go to Santa's Grotto at Harrod's.

She opened up this one just as there was a knock on the door. She opened the without looking, entirely fixated on her envelope.

"Hi, Rory."

"You didn't even look up." He saw the opened envelope in her hands. "Another one?"

"Yeah. A weird one."

"Anyway, I was thinking, this Sunday is Valentine's Day and I'm not doing anything and if you're not doing anything, you and I could do something. Not like a date or anything-"

"I have plans Valentine's Day," said Amy staring at the card in the envelope.

"Oh. Okay."

"I have to go to London. You can drive me."

"What's in London?"

"This," she said and passed him the card.

"Oh, Amy, no. Not again!"

"I have to figure out who keeps sending me these, Rory. And look this one's an invitation."

Rory read it aloud: "'Laughing, crawling, growing up fast… Since she arrived a year has passed. So join us for cake, food, and fun, Let's celebrate… Zara is one! Fourteenth of February two thousand and ten at two o'clock in the afternoon.' Amy, do you actually know Zara?"

"No, but I have an invitation to her birthday party."

"Amy, you can't crash a one year old's birthday party!"

Amy shrugged. "I'll buy her a present."

* * *

><p>"You are barking mad!," screamed Donna.<p>

The Doctor pushed Zara's pink pram the final foot inside the TARDIS and locked the door. Donna leaned against the railing, wanting to collapse.

"Completely, one hundred percent bonkers!," she continued having regained a little breath. She rested her hand on her belly to feel the baby kicking like mad after the latest excitement. Running, she thought, so not for pregnant women. This was not about to be an Olympic event any time soon.

"Are you alright?," asked the Doctor.

Donna nodded and knelt down to Zara. She couldn't believe what she saw.

"She's asleep," said Donna in dismay. She looked up at the Doctor. "How can she be asleep?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, when you need a nap, you need a nap, I suppose."

There was a banging on the TARDIS door.

"Bloody villagers," muttered the Doctor. He strode over to the console and his fingers started flying across as he dematerialized the TARDIS.

Donna pushed Zara's pram further down into the console. "The next time you want to insult a tribal chieftain, would you mind letting me get inside the TARDIS first?"

"I wasn't going to marry her, Donna, she wasn't even ginger."

"I appreciate the consideration, but this big bump here isn't just decoration, you know. I am carrying an entire other living, breathing Time Baby slash human being in here. And she's heavy."

The Doctor looked puzzled. "She was just around five pounds last time we checked."

"Fine. You carry the next one and tell me how easy it is."

Just then the TARDIS began to play the most exasperating tune.

"What is that?," he squeaked. "Is that 'Happy Birthday'?"

Donna was suddenly excited. "That's the alarm!"

"The alarm?"

"For Zara's birthday!"

"Oh, good. Happy birthday, Zara. Now, how do I turn it off?"

"Our baby is a year old. Is that as enthusiastic as you're going to get?"

"Donna, I've had a lot of birthdays. Trust me, one isn't the most memorable one. Two hundred and seven, that was a good one." He looked up from the console and saw Donna's expression. "Oh, blimey."

"One! She's one year old! It only happens once! She'll never be one again! I have a party all sorted out and I set the alarm so we wouldn't miss it in your timey wimey phone box!"

"Am I going back to the house then?"

"Yes," said Donna. "Oh, to the fourteenth, though, the fifteenth is a Monday and I wanted everyone to be able to come."

"It's not even the right day!," exclaimed the Doctor.

"Doctor..."

* * *

><p>The Doctor, Donna and Zara soon arrived back at the Smith house. Ianto and Martha were in the sitting room decorating with pink streamers and balloons.<p>

"Is this how Torchwood spends its time now?," asked the Doctor.

"Doctor!," exclaimed Martha.

"Only since we opened our Time Baby Services division," Ianto said drily.

Martha rushed up and hugged the Doctor. She got a look at Donna and hugged her.

"You're looking well. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, except for when he tries to kill me," said Donna motioning her head at the Doctor.

"Zara, can I hold you?," asked Martha, gingerly taking the baby from Donna. "You've gotten so big! I can't believe you're a whole year old! You were just a tiny little thing a year ago!"

Ianto got down from putting up the streamers. "The baker's is delivering the cake in an hour, caterers in two. Guests are set to arrive in three hours. "

"There are caterers?," asked the Doctor with disdain.

"You see, sweetheart, we don't actually live here so if we want to have people over and not have them starve, the food has to come from somewhere," said Donna. She looked at Martha. "Would you mind looking after her for a bit so I can take a bath?"

"No problem," said Martha. "We're going to have fun, won't we, Zara?"

Donna went upstairs and the Doctor sat down to chat up Martha and Ianto. Zara sat on Martha's lap and became intrigued by Martha's dangling and sparkling earrings.

"So, how is Torchwood?," asked the Doctor. "Did you and Wilf ever find the Pternadon?"

"Yes, it was quite a weekend," said Ianto.

"The Hub's been rebuilt," said Martha. "Ianto did most of it."

"Yes, we finally got some decent lighting."

"Mickey and I are there now, so there's six of us."

"Six?," asked the Doctor.

"New girl," muttered Ianto.

"Sorry?," asked the Doctor.

"I'm going to go get the banner out of the Land Rover," said Ianto leaving.

Martha sat and balanced Zara on her knee. "The new girl is as incorrigible as Jack if you catch my meaning."

"Oh, so she and Jack...?"

"Oh, yeah. Big time," said Martha. "She's good at her job at least, but it's made things rather tense."

"She's not coming, is she?"

"Well, we had to leave someone behind to look after the weevils. I had to talk her out of it, though, who wants to come to a birthday party for a baby they don't even know? She doesn't even seem like the baby type."

"Zara baby," said Zara.

"Oh, I know," said Martha. "Are you ready to be a big sister, though?"

Zara muttered something in High Gallifreyan and all Martha could make out was "Chloe."

"Chloe?," asked Martha.

The Doctor looked sternly at Zara. "Now, you remember what we said about language."

"What did she say?"

"It's the TARDIS trying to translate for you, you're only making out part of a Gallifreyan nickname for an annoying baby sister."

Martha snorted. "Cheeky Zara!"

"It's not funny, Donna actually thinks Zara is trying to name the baby. She doesn't really like the name, but she thinks it's going to make Zara feel important to name her."

"Oh, that's so sweet," said Martha.

"How is that sweet?," asked the Doctor.

"It just is."

* * *

><p>Rory Williams drove up to the strange house. Balloons were tied to the post on the steps and guests were filtering in.<p>

"Oh, yeah, looks real dangerous," said Amy. "Park the car."

"Can I just say again this seems like a really bad idea?"

Amy saw an older man going in.

"That's the guy with the paint ball gun!," shouted Amy. "Rory, park the car!"

Rory sighed and parked the car in the first available spot down the street. Amy got out of the car and handed Rory the big plush zebra she had picked up at the toy shop and carried a pink gift bag.

"Why did you get her a zebra?," asked Rory. "You don't even know if she likes zebras! You don't know anything about her! In fact, you don't know her!"

"She's a baby, besides I didn't want to look cheap."

"This is a bad idea," said Rory.

Amy knocked on the door. A tall, handsome man opened the door with a balloon elephant hat. He grinned, revealing dimples.

"Hello," he said, smiling at Amy. He looked over at Rory. "Are you relatives of Donna's?"

"Yes," said Amy, "I've got my invitation and everything."

"No worries. Come on in." He let them in. "Captain Jack Harkness."

"Ooh! A captain! I'm Amy, this is Rory."

"Boyfriend?," asked Jack.

"No," said Rory quickly.

"No, just friends," said Amy.

"Well, then," smiled Jack, "Rory, the presents are in the sitting room along with the guest of honor. Grown up drinks are being served in the kitchen. Amy, care to accompany me?" He held his arm out.

"Love to," said Amy, taking the offered arm. She looked at Rory. "Want anything from the kitchen?"

"No, I've got to drive."

Rory made his way to the sitting room. There were some children running around, then one little ginger girl sitting by herself. Rory put the zebra down next to the pile of presents adorned in variations of pink gift wrap.

"Zebra!," she said.

"Yes, it is," Rory said awkwardly.

"Zara present?," she asked.

"Yes, it is a gift for Zara, I suppose," he said.

"Thank you," she said and walked over to the pile, dragging the zebra away, knocking over other gifts.

"So, you're Zara, then?," he asked.

"Yes," she said. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm just Rory."

"Just Rory!"

"No, not, 'Just Rory', it's just 'Rory.'"

"Just Rory," said Zara.

* * *

><p>Jack gave Amy the tour of the kitchen. "This is where the cool kids are. Martha, Mickey, Gwen, that's her husband, Rhys and that's Ianto. Oh, you know Wilf, right?"<p>

Wilf squinted at Amy. "I think we've met..."

"It's been a while," Amy said quickly.

"Donna's in the dining room with Sylvia and the Doctor is... Actually, I don't know where the Doctor is."

"The Doctor?," asked Amy.

"You mean John?," supplied Gwen.

"Right, John," said Jack. "Anybody know where John went?"

"He said he had to go shopping," said Mickey.

"Were you at the christening?," asked Martha.

"Oh, I was abroad then," said Amy.

"Let's get you a drink, Amy!," said Jack.

"Mum..." said Donna.

* * *

><p>Donna was in the dining room with Sylvia, arranging the nibbles and getting it ready for the big moment when Zara would blow out the candle on her cake.<p>

The cake might have been overkill, Donna thought in retrospect. She had ordered it herself over the TARDIS phone and somehow it was bigger than she imagined. Round with three layers, bananas and cream on the inside and on the outside lots of pink frosting and flowers and her name in frosting. Still, though, how many times did a Time Baby turn one?

Sylvia had begun her new favorite topic of conversation since Donna had recovered her memory. Now, in addition to offering unsolicited parenting advice, Sylvia constantly asked why Donna couldn't just settle down.

"I'm just saying, all that running about with aliens can't be good for you. At least with Zara you had a normal pregnancy."

Donna snorted. "Yeah, that was normal."

"Would it be so awful to live in a normal house like normal people?," asked Sylvia.

"We're not normal people, Mum," said Donna. "You seem to keep forgetting that."

* * *

><p>Rory sat on the sofa as the children played. The adults of the party seemed to have dispersed to other areas and willfully ignored their children.<p>

Zara seemed to have taken a liking to him, though and soon returned to Rory with a book.

"Oh, would you like me to read to you?," he asked.

"No, Zara read." She sat down on the floor and opened the book. "One day when he was walking, he came to an open place in the middle of the forest. And in the middle of this place was a large oak tree." She read haltingly, taking pauses between every few words, but made it through.

Rory turned back to see the cover was for Winnie the Pooh. Was it possible?

"Pooh hears a buzzing noise and he knows what that means-bees!" She stopped and looked up brightly at Rory. "Mummy found the bees."

"Yeah..." said Rory. He held his hand out. "May I have a look at your book?"

Zara handed it to him. Rory had a look and couldn't believe it. She was actually reading! What sort of a one year old read? Had he and Amy just crashed the birthday party for a baby genius?

"Zara!"

Rory looked over to see a woman heading towards Zara, followed by three teenagers.

"Sarah Jane!" Zara held her arms out and Sarah Jane picked her up.

The two walked off, leaving Rory holding the book.

* * *

><p>The Doctor came up through the cellar, dragging along a rocking horse. He emerged in the kitchen to find the usual gang and a ginger he didn't recognize.<p>

"Hello, John," said Jack, "this is Amy."

"Hi, how are you?"

"Fine. Did you just come from shopping?"

"Yeah, had to pick up Zara's present, German, eighteenth century, only place to fina a real quality rocking horse. You can't get craftsmanship like that in any galaxy."

"So, that's an antique?," asked Amy. "It looks brand new."

"Yeah..." said the Doctor.

"It's been restored," offered Ianto.

"That's it," confirmed the Doctor.

"And you had her name put on it?," asked Amy, pointing at the antique German lettering.

"Yes, uh, where's Donna?"

Wilf chuckled. "Sylvia's giving her an earful in the dining room."

The Doctor sniffed. "Do I smell banana cake?"

Amy narrowed her eyes at the strange man, but the Doctor didn't take notice. Instead, he followed his nose to the dining room and the enormous cake.

"Is Zara having a birthday or being crowned?," he asked.

"Ha ha," said Donna. "Make fun of it and you don't get any."

"I would never mock a banana cake." He turned. "Sarah Jane Smith! How are you?"

"My arms are getting tired," she said, handing Zara over to the Doctor. "She's getting big."

"Oh, I don't think so, she's still very small," said the Doctor, giving the baby a kiss on the top of her head.

"Okay," said Donna, "time to get this party started, don't you think?"

* * *

><p>The guests gathered into the dining room and Rory sided up to Amy. They all sang "Happy Birthday" to Zara and her mum helped her blow out her candle. Next, she put her fist through the top layer of the cake, covering it in frosting which she was doing her best to lick off before Donna could clean her up. The cake was soon cut and the guests started chatting.<p>

"Amy," he whispered, "there's something strange about these people."

Amy shrugged. "They seem alright. Captain Jack and I are going out later."

Rory was incredulous. "You're going out! And why are you calling him 'Captain'?"

"I don't know, it's his thing, I guess. Why do you care?"

Rory shook his head. "Nothing, I don't, I just wanted to get back to Leadworth. I have to work tomorrow."

"Okay, you drive home and I'll take the train. Not a big deal."

Rory tried to let that one go. "The baby can read."

Amy laughed. "What?"

"She read to me."

"So?"

"She's supposed to be one."

"You think she's lying about her age?," Amy asked mockingly.

"She's too clever for one."

"So? Maybe she's just clever. Besides, I keep seeing those infomercials that say they can teach your baby to read. These are nice people."

"The envelopes, the clever baby, Captain Jack," he said the last with little air quotes. "Something's going on here."

Amy thought back. "Well, the dad is a bit strange."

"How?," asked Rory.

"He said he was out shopping and came in through the cellar. He probably just wanted to keep his present a surprise, though. And his brother is Welsh. That's sort of strange." Amy took another bite of her cake. "And he smelled the cake from the kitchen."

The Doctor finished his third slice of banana cake and eyed the ginger woman across the room.

"You are going to attract flies," Donna said, cleaning between Zara's fingers with a wet wipe. "How did you get so much frosting on you?"

"Donna," said the Doctor, "do you know that ginger?"

"What? Do you think we all know each other?," she quipped, not turning her attention away from Zara's fingers.

"Donna..."

Donna looked up. "No, but I saw her chatting up Jack."

"Is she his type?"

"Let's see, she seems to be in her twenties, attractive with long legs and a short skirt and she has a pulse. Yes, I think she might be."

"Who's she with?," asked the Doctor.

"Just Rory!," said Zara.

"Just Rory," mused the Doctor.

"Maybe Mum invited him," said Donna. "Probably a cousin. I don't know why she has to invite every cousin." She kissed Zara's hand. "You still taste of frosting."

Zara giggled. Donna looked to the Doctor.

"Shall we do presents?," she asked.

"Presents!," shouted Zara.

"Presents," agreed the Doctor, still watching Amy and Rory.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, the Doctor, Donna, Amy, Rory, Torchwood or anything. Thanks for the reads and reviews and follows. I hope you enjoy this one and please let me know what you think!

* * *

><p>The party moved into the sitting room and Donna sat with Zara in front of the heap of gifts. They started opening gifts as the partygoers watched.<p>

"Jack..." the Doctor sided up next to him. "Who's the ginger?"

"You've already got one," Jack said.

"No, I don't know her, who is she?"

"She's related to Donna, she said."

"She's Scottish."

Jack shrugged. "So?"

Sylvia approached then.

"Sylvia," said the Doctor, he motioned at Amy and Rory, "who are they?"

Sylvia looked at them. "How should I know? I thought they were friends of yours."

"I've never met them." The Doctor looked at Jack. "You are never in charge of the front door again!"

* * *

><p>The party started dissipating. Before they realized it, Amy and Rory were the only guests left.<p>

"We should go," Rory said to Amy.

"I still don't know who sent me the invitation and I promised Jack I would go out with him."

"Just Rory!," shouted Zara as Donna held her across the room.

Rory waved sheepishly.

"These people are going to realize no one knows who we are," he hissed.

"Yeah, they do, you're Just Rory."

"What?," asked Donna, whispering with Jack, Ianto and the Doctor across the room.

"They're party crashers," said Jack quietly.

"Who crashes a one year old's birthday party?," asked Donna.

"Jack let them in," said Ianto.

Donna looked at Jack in horror. "We are never putting you in charge of the front door again! Do you think this is a disco? We ought to just get a velvet rope!" She knocked the balloon animal hat off his head.

"Look, we just need to find out why they're here," said the Doctor. "Let's be calm and rational and-"

Donna thrust Zara into Ianto's arms.

"And there we go," said the Doctor.

Donna stalked over to Amy and Rory. "Who are you?"

The Doctor and Jack followed.

"What?," asked Amy.

"We are so sorry," said Rory.

"Oh, you bet you'll be sorry once I'm done with you! Who are you and what the hell do you want with my baby?"

"What?," asked Amy. "We're not after your baby!"

She looked at Rory. "You were obviously making yourself chummy with her! And you were distracting our security!"

"Your security?," asked Amy.

"Listen, we just need to know why you're here," said the Doctor. "We're not going to hurt you."

"Don't make promises," hissed Donna.

"I got an invitation," said Amy. "It led me here. It's in my bag, I swear."

* * *

><p>Amy got out her bag and started spreading out the collection of blue envelopes and notes on the dining room table. It nearly covered it. Ianto, Martha and Jack stood over it looking at everything. Donna and the Doctor sat opposite of Amy and Rory.<p>

"TARDIS blue," observed Martha.

Jack and Ianto were going through them.

"What's a TARDIS?," asked Rory.

"This one's for Harrod's on Christmas Eve," said Ianto.

"This one would have led her to the christening," said Jack.

"Yeah, I didn't make that one. I was trying to ignore them, but they just kept coming."

"The night of the Dalek invasion," said Martha, handing one over to the Doctor.

"This is just a street over from your mother's," said the Doctor.

"Yeah, that was weird. This blonde with a big gun shoved me and I did run into Wilfred. He was trying to shoot a Dalek with a paint ball gun," said Amy.

"I don't understand," said Donna. "These notes all lead to us."

"Is this all of them?," asked the Doctor. "No others?"

"No, that's all of them," said Amy. "Sometimes they come with tickets, like the Harrod's one. Last Valentine's Day there were two to see Hairspray."

"We couldn't follow the end because this ginger lady down in front started shouting at another woman."

"I wasn't shouting," said Donna. "And she was being rude and what part couldn't you follow, exactly?"

"Nothing else out of the ordinary?," asked the Doctor. "Something you won or didn't ask for?"

"I got a weird job offer last year," said Rory.

"This isn't about you, Rory," said Amy.

"No, I'd like to hear," said the Doctor.

"Well, I'm a nurse-"

"A nurse?," snorted Jack.

"Hush you," said Donna.

Rory started again. "Last year, just before the thing with the pepper pots and the planets, I got an offer to work at King's Cross Hospital here in London. I never even submitted my CV."

Donna looked at the Doctor. "I know I don't usually, but I'm about to freak out."

* * *

><p>Gwen was in the kitchen with one of the Torchwood laptops. Rhys was feasting on leftover nibbles. The Doctor entered with Donna carrying Zara, Martha and Jack.<p>

"What is it with you people?," asked Rhys. "You manage to turn a birthday party into an interrogation."

"Did we find out who they are?," asked Jack.

"Fingerprints match to who they say they are. Amelia Pond and Rory Williams of Leadworth. They grew up together, same schools, everything. He's a nurse and she's-"

"A kissogram!," exclaimed Rhys.

"Really?," asked Jack.

Martha shook her head. "We are never putting you in charge of the front door again."

"She was ginger, I thought she was a relative of Donna's."

"Am I Scottish?," asked Donna incredulously.

"The nurse and the kissogram," mused the Doctor.

"It's as if someone's trying to get you together," said Martha.

"But why?," asked the Doctor.

"I don't know, as companions?," asked Martha.

Before the Doctor could ponder that, Donna said, "Oh, hell no."

The Doctor looked at Donna. "What?"

"Have you taken a look at me lately?"

"Of course I have," he said.

"Do you think there's any way I'm letting a younger, leggier, thinner ginger come along with us when all of your companions have this habit of falling in love with you? No offense, Martha."

"Why does your mind go right there?"

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?," asked Donna. "You flirt and you don't even know you're doing it!"

"I am not a flirt!"

Donna looked around. "Anyone?"

"You come off as a little bit flirty," said Gwen. "When you're not doing the angst bit."

"And even then you do the puppy dog eye thing," said Jack.

"What puppy dog eye thing?"

Martha made her approximation of the Doctor's puppy dog eye expression.

"Yeah, that's the one," said Donna.

"Oh, and sometimes you do this thing with your tongue," added Rhys.

"I did not want to hear Rhys say that," said Jack.

"Well, the question is what's so special about Amy Pond and Rory Williams?," the Doctor asked, ignoring all criticism of his facial expressions.

"You think it's the both of them?," asked Jack. "That job offer?"

"How many jobs have you gotten that you didn't apply for?," asked Martha.

"Well, I've only had two and it was more like I got captured for the second one," remarked Jack.

"Are they together?," asked Gwen.

"Hey, they said they were just friends," Jack insisted.

"As if anything would stop you," said Donna.

"Okay, do I have to hear this from everyone?"

"Yes," said Rhys. "Or you could learn to control your hormones."

"That'll be the day," muttered the Doctor.

Jack threw his arms up. "I'm going to go help Mickey Mouse with the car search."

* * *

><p>Ianto was left to guard Amy and Rory.<p>

"What do you think they'll do to us?," Rory asked Amy.

Amy shrugged. "They can't do anything to us. All we did was crash a birthday party."

"I can hear you," said Ianto.

"Please don't throw us in jail," said Rory.

"You're such a wimp," said Amy.

"I could lose my job!"

"We won't throw you in jail," said Ianto. "We're Torchwood. Ever heard of us?"

"No," said Rory.

"There's a reason for that."

"Oh, God, we're going to die," said Rory.

"We are not going to die!," said Amy.

"What are you basing that on?," hissed Rory.

"Doctor!," they heard Jack shout from the front door. "Slight problem out here!"

The Doctor rushed out of the kitchen and looked to where Jack motioned at the sky.

"What?," he asked.

"Do I have to say?," asked Jack.

The Doctor looked again. "Yeah, I think you're going to have to say."

Ianto's phone rang. "Oh, good, the office." He picked up his mobile. "Phone for you, Jack!"

"Just a minute!," said Jack.

"Jack, I don't see what you mean."

Martha and Donna walked up.

"What happened to the sky?," asked Martha.

"What are you talking about?," asked Donna.

"You see it, too?," Jack asked Martha.

"Yeah, the sky is bloody purple!"

Jack frowned. "It's orange."

"Donna, what color is it?," asked the Doctor.

"Blue," said Donna.

"That's what I see," said the Doctor. "Ianto!"

Ianto came to the front steps and shoved his mobile at Jack.

"Why is the sky green, Doctor?," asked Ianto.

The Doctor shouted. "Mickey! What color is the sky?"

Mickey looked up out of Rory's car. "I don't know, ochre?"

"Ochre?," asked the Doctor.

"Purple, orange, green, ochre and blue," said Donna. "You mean regular blue, right? Like normal?"

"Sky blue," said the Doctor.

He walked back into the sitting room where Zara read to her zebra and rocking horse.

"Zara, what color is the sky?"

"Blue!," she said without looking.

"No, but look out the window and tell Daddy what color the sky is."

Zara looked. "Blue! I win!"

"Yes, you do," he said and gave her a peck on the cheek.

Jack came in. "Gwen says a yellowish brown and Rhys agrees with me for a change."

"Well, that will be the only time that happens," said the Doctor.

The others entered.

"Doctor, what is it?," asked Martha.

"I have no idea."

Mickey shook his head. "Call yourself a Time Lord, do you?"

"Sorry, slight question."

They turned to see Amy and Rory had joined them in the sitting room.

"What's a Time Lord and why do they keep calling you Doctor?," asked Amy.

"I was actually just wondering if I could get my car keys back," said Rory.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, the Doctor, Donna, Amy, Rory or anyone. Thanks for the reads and the reviews. I would love to know what you think and enjoy!

* * *

><p>"Should we retcon them?," Jack asked the Doctor.<p>

Rory and Amy had been seated on the sofa, with Ianto and Gwen standing guard behind them. Jack was at the Doctor's side.

"What is with you and the retcon, Jack?," asked the Doctor.

"I still don't know what I did," said Amy.

"Oh, so you normally crash a one year old's birthday party?," asked Gwen.

"I had an invitation!"

"Sorry, what's retcon?," asked Rory.

"Retconning them won't help," said the Doctor. "Whoever is trying to push us together will just keep at it and we'll see them again."

Donna came back in. "Mum says the sky is orange and Gramps says it's purple." She took Zara from the Doctor and sat back down. "Anyone else you want me to ring up and ask what color the sky is?"

"You could always ring Nerys," said the Doctor.

"Nerys! She didn't even show up for the party and Zara hasn't gotten a present!"

"I was joking. You actually invited her?"

"Of course I did!"

"Who's Nerys?," asked Amy.

"We're being held captive by a secret agency and the sky is funny colors and you want to know who Nerys is?," asked Rory.

Amy shrugged.

"Nerys," Zara said imitating her mother's disdain.

"Now she's doing it," said the Doctor.

"I've known her for years and all Zara got at her christening was a ten pound gift voucher to Baby Gap!," said Donna.

"Alright, never mind Nerys, we need to know why you all think the sky has changed colors," said the Doctor, looking at the sonic screwdriver. "Nothing has changed in the atmosphere, nothing has changed with your brains, so what is it?"

"So, what?," asked Amy. "We're all seeing the sky wrong and you're the only ones seeing it correctly?"

"Pretty much, yeah," said the Doctor.

"What makes you three so special then?," asked Amy.

The Doctor looked at Donna, then back at Amy and Rory. "Nothing really..."

"Right, just John and Donna Smith," said Donna.

"That's us," confirmed the Doctor.

"With the clever baby," said Amy.

"Sorry?," asked the Doctor.

Amy pointed at her friend. "Rory said your baby was clever."

Rory shook his head. "Never said that."

"So, now she's dumb?," asked Donna.

"Never said that," said Rory. "I have made no commentary on your baby, nor do I have any interest in her." He looked over, the clever baby was staring at him, somehow looking offended.

"You still haven't answered what a Time Lord is," said Amy.

"Right, anyway, the sky..." said the Doctor.

"Are you aliens?," asked Amy.

"Seriously, Amy, they're not aliens! You met her grandfather!," said Rory.

"Maybe he's an alien, too."

"What kind of alien tries to shoot at Daleks with a paint ball gun?"

"I've done more with less," mused the Doctor.

Donna smacked him on the arm. "Not helping."

"Who turned the television on?," asked the Doctor.

"No one," said Donna.

The Doctor pointed at the television which was on and playing adverts at the moment.

"Okay, so Zara got hold of the remote," said Donna.

The Doctor motioned at the table across the room. "Then what's it doing there?"

The screen went white.

A woman appeared on the screen. She appeared to be human and her expression was so placid as to be disconcerting.

"Greetings," she said, "we come in peace."

"Oh, it's never good when they say that," mused the Doctor.

"We've got to record this," said Jack heading for the remote.

"Can we track the signal?," asked Martha.

"I'll get my laptop," said Mickey. "Track the signal that way."

"We are here to help," said the woman.

"Oh, they're here to help, that's just brilliant," said the Doctor.

"Maybe they are here to help," said Rhys, chewing cake.

"Right, aliens always cross the galaxy because they want to help out," said Ianto. He looked at the Doctor. "No offense."

"Wait, so you are an alien?," asked Amy.

"Why isn't she saying anything else?," asked Rory.

The Doctor looked at the TV. She wasn't saying anything. Just sitting there, smiling.

It was unnerving.

"Mummy..." said Zara, her lip trembling. She buried her face in Donna's chest.

"Psychic signal!," said the Doctor. "Same sort of technology they used on the sky! Must be on such a primal level that Zara can sense it, but-"

He looked back to see everyone had frozen, except Zara and Donna.

"Oh, come on," said the Doctor with disgust.

"What?," said Rory.

The Doctor couldn't believe it. He had just been staring at the telly. "What? Why are you fine?," asked the Doctor.

Rory turned to Amy. "Amy! Oh, my God! Amy?" He shook her but she didn't move.

"Something must be blocking the psychic signal to your brain," said the Doctor.

"Oh, great," said Rory.

"No, it's a good thing, you can help us," said the Doctor.

"And we're doing what exactly?," asked Donna.

"I don't know, we have to figure out exactly how deep this hypnosis is." He walked to Martha. "Martha, it's the Doctor, listen to me."

He turned to Mickey. "Mickey, it's me? Can you hear me?"

"Remember? The man who ruined your life?," Donna said playfully.

"Not helping, Donna."

"Is that what you call yourself? 'The Doctor'?," asked Rory. "Who does that? It sounds like a bad pick up line."

"Oi, what happened to when you thought we were going to kill you?," asked Donna.

"Well, most of the people that I thought were going to kill me are actually frozen."

"You think I won't?," asked Donna.

"Right..." said the Doctor, finishing his scan of Martha. "Interesting, it's like it's blocking all her higher functions."

"So, why am I okay?," asked Rory.

"Because you already have something blocking your higher functions," said the Doctor.

Rory shook his head. "Not sounding good."

"Don't worry about it," said the Doctor.

"And why are you okay?"

The Doctor looked at Donna. She just stared back at him. The Doctor turned back to Rory.

"Amy was right. I am an alien. Zara is my daughter, Donna's my wife."

"I met her grandfather, though," said Rory clinging desperately to the rational world.

"Oh, Donna's human, but if I had to guess I would say it's some sort of Time Lord energy running through her system or her big mind that's basically impermeable to interference."

"That makes it sound like I'm thick," said Donna.

"I said big mind," said the Doctor.

"Which is still the weirdest compliment any man has ever given me."

Rory started to feel his heart race. He wasn't following a lot of what was going on except he realized the world was falling apart and these two were bantering! "Um, do you two always talk like this when everyone in the world is seeing weird colors in the sky and are frozen?"

"'Course we do. Why not?"

"Fine, what the hell is going on?," asked Donna.

"We've got to find that signal. Find the signal, find whoever's sending it out and what they really want. Allons-y!"

"Is it okay to just leave them like this?," asked Rory, motioning at the people who were now statues, Rhys still in mid-bite of another piece of banana cake.

"They're not going anywhere," said the Doctor, bounding out of the room.

The Doctor, Donna and Zara headed for the kitchen. Rory followed them.

"Where are we going?," he asked.

"TARDIS," said Zara, looking at Rory over Donna's shoulder.

"Mind the steps," said the Doctor opening the cellar door.

"The what?," asked Rory.

"Steps! You're going to have to keep up better than that!"

"TARDIS," said Zara, knowing what Rory meant.

The Doctor led the way down the steps and into what looked like a blue box to Rory.

"Um..."

Rory watched as Donna and Zara went in as well.

"Just Rory!," he heard Zara shout.

Rory walked carefully over to the box and looked past the door.

There was a giant room, much too big for the box. Some sort of coral, the Doctor appeared to be at some sort of control panel assembled by a man with a junk yard. Donna was strapping Zara into a baby seat and there was a Jack Russell Terrier barking at him.

Against every survival instinct, Rory stepped inside.

"Sorry, what is this?," he asked.

"TARDIS," said Zara.

"Clever girl," said Donna giving her a kiss.

"This is my ship-" said the Doctor.

Donna shot him a look.

"Our ship..."

The TARDIS hummed bitterly.

"Anyway, this is a ship that travels through time and space." He motioned at the dog. "That's Esther. Esther, Rory."

"And what are we going to do now?," asked Rory.

The Doctor looked at Donna. "I thought I was being fairly self-explanatory."

Donna shrugged. "I followed it just fine."

He looked back at Rory. "We're going to save the Earth now."

"Oh. Okay," said Rory.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, Rory, the Doctor, Donna or any of it. Thanks for reading and the reviews and I hope to hear what you think of this one soon. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Rory had settled in the seat next to the baby. The Doctor and Donna were at the console. Rory was still trying to keep up.<p>

"What do you mean psychic signal? There's no such thing as psychics!"

The Doctor looked at Donna and motioned at Rory. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

Donna looked at Rory. "Listen, any daft thing he says is probably true, except when he promises to take you somewhere, you're going to end up in the wrong place."

"Oi! Not always!"

"Oi! Just most of the time!," she parroted back at him.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to track down this signal!" He looked. "Hmmm..."

"Did you just say 'hmmm'?," asked Donna.

"It's coming from Earth, from London."

"Why do aliens always pick London?," asked Rory.

Donna looked at the Doctor. "Yeah. Why?"

"I don't know, sometimes they pick Cardiff, apparently."

"But it's stupid," said Donna, "you're in London all the time. Whatever it is, don't they know you'll just come and stop them?"

"Donna, I don't think it's something they officially decided upon." His hands flew across the controls. The Doctor and Donna raced out, followed by Rory.

"This way!," shouted the Doctor as he headed towards a huge flight of stairs.

"How many stairs?," asked Donna.

"Just ten flights."

"You couldn't have landed the TARDIS ten flights up?"

"Why?"

"Oh my God, do you ever listen?"

"What?"

Rory motioned in the general direction of Donna's baby bump. "She's pregnant? Probably doesn't want to run a lot."

The Doctor looked as if this had been the first time anyone had ever brought this up. "Oh."

"I'm going back to the TARDIS," said Donna.

"What?," asked the Doctor.

"Rory, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Right. How do I do that?"

"Come on, Rory!"

Donna was already heading back. The Doctor was running up the stairs two or three at a time. Rory followed, struggling to keep up. He didn't take exercise nearly enough.

"Here we are!," said the Doctor.

"Where?," asked Rory following the Doctor through a door.

He immediately regretted not waiting for an answer because they found the woman from the telly and if years of James Bond films were any training at all, looked like a room full of armed goons standing around a big, glowing thing which in a Bond film would be whatever was being used to take over the world.

"How are you? I'm the Doctor. This is Rory."

They pointed their guns at them.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, tied to the Doctor, Rory had one thought.<p>

"I can't believe this," said Rory.

"Neither can I," said the Doctor, "they've just tied us up with ropes. How rubbish is that? I at least rate some handcuffs I think."

Rory rolled his eyes. He was tied back to back with the Doctor currently pondering the series of events that had brought him here.

"I didn't even want to come," said Rory. "All these stupid envelopes, I tried telling her it was a bad idea. Why do I let her boss me around?"

"Because she's ginger?," mused the Doctor.

Rory tried to shrug, but found the binding too tight.

"Did she ask you to come along?," asked the Doctor.

"No, I was just around when she got the invitation."

"What were you around for?"

Rory sighed. "Nothing. I was just seeing if she wanted to do something for Valentine's."

"What? Like a date?"

"No, not a date," Rory said too quickly, so much so that even the Doctor could pick up on it. "We're just friends, you know, mates. Not that kind of mates, I mean-"

"Yeah, been there."

"What? You and Donna? You were just friends?"

"Best friends, still are, actually."

"But... what changed?"

"Oh, she kissed me when I got poisoned with cyanide while we were helping Agatha Christie solve a murder at a country estate. It was all I could think about once I figured out who the giant wasp was."

"Giant wasp? Agatha Christie?"

The Doctor continued on as if Rory hadn't spoken. "I realized I couldn't fight it anymore and that I had fallen for her. Then she got trapped in a giant computer and had an affair with a computer simulation of me. Pretty typical courtship, really."

"Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen for me."

"Why don't you just tell her then?"

"You've seen her."

"So? What about her?"

The woman from the telly approached.

"Oh, hello, I was wondering when you would come over," said the Doctor.

"What are you doing here? No one should be able to resist the signal. Not even you, Doctor."

"Yeah, sorry."

"What? You know him?," asked Rory.

"Oh, Rory and my wife were wondering why you all always launch your plans from London," said the Doctor.

What looked to be the main guard leaned in to the woman. "I told you we shouldn't have chosen London."

"He's not always here!," she hissed back.

"She's right. Today was just my daughter's first birthday," said the Doctor. "No, that's not true. It's actually tomorrow but my wife wanted people to be able to come. More importantly, what's the signal for?"

"They're not going to tell you..." muttered Rory.

"We need the space," said the woman. "The colors in the sky are to sort people based on a variety of criteria, to facilitate the retail end of things."

"Oh, that explains the big psychic transmitter over there!," exclaimed the Doctor. "It also explains that!," he said attempting to motion with his nose at a monitor.

"What?", asked Rory.

"Nothing, just the whole city's outside walking in different directions, probably by what color the saw the sky as. On their way to be sold. Purple, green, orange, ochre, north, east, south, west..."

"Ochre?," asked the woman. "It was meant to be yellow."

"Well, it's sort of a yellowish brown," said the DOctor.

"What do you need the space for?," asked Rory.

"The Earth is a compatible planet. We lost ours."

"Oh, not the lost planets again..." moaned the Doctor. "Please tell me your planet didn't just disappear! Seriously, I can't go through that again!"

"Silence came to our world," said the woman.

"That's not cryptic," said Rory.

"Silence? What do you mean silence?," asked the Doctor.

"Sorry, Doctor, no time to chat," she turned and walked away.

"I can't believe she just told you," said Rory. "This is like a James Bond film, only you're an alien and you have a baby."

"And there was never a Bond girl as good as Donna," said the Doctor.

Rory turned his head as far as he could. Donna was on the other side of the door, motioning at the Doctor through the window.

"What's she doing? Is she playing charades?"

"It's just our thing..." The Doctor struggled to motion that he was tied up. Donna threw her hands up at him.

She finally snuck in the door and walked over to untie the Doctor and Rory.

"I thought you were waiting in the TARDIS," said the Doctor.

"Yeah, well, I don't fancy the idea of being a single mum." She struggled and got the knots to go. "These are really good knots! Better than usual!"

"I was upset about the lack of handcuffs."

"Well, that is an insult."

The Doctor and Rory stood up to find that the woman and her cadre had finally turned to see what they were up to.

"Damn, I thought I snuck in," said Donna.

"Snuck in? Have you seen yourself?," asked the woman.

"Oi! Watch your mouth you weird-" She turned to the Doctor. "What are they doing?"

"Selling the human race into slavery and taking over the planet."

"And she has the nerve to call me fat!"

"Anyway, they're not doing it, know why?"

"Why, Doctor?," asked the woman.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the transmitter. It blew up, blue sparks flying in the air. He looked up at the monitor: everyone was still walking.

"Any other bright ideas?," asked Donna.

"The signal can't be stopped," said the woman.

"Of course! You've fused the delivery matrix!"

"I have no idea what's going on," Rory said to Donna.

"Don't worry. It's like that sometimes."

"Wait, Rory!," the Doctor shouted frantically.

"What?"

"Rory! Look at you just ordinary Rory, nothing special about you, not exactly bright sometimes, Just Rory! But do you know why you aren't out there walking with them? Because you're in love! You already have something blocking out your higher functions so there's no room in that head of yours for anything else to block out your higher functions! We've just got to find something else to block out their higher functions!"

"Not while I'm here," said the woman.

"Oh, right..." he licked his lips. "Um, everybody run."

The Doctor took Donna's hand and ran, Rory followed, just missing being hit by a barrage of laser shots.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, the Doctor, Amy, Rory, anything. Thanks for the reads and the reviews and hope you enjoy this chapter, can't wait to hear from you.

* * *

><p>It was official, thought Rory, as he ran along behind the Doctor and Donna, he really needed to take more exercise.<p>

He was slower than the pregnant lady.

He wasn't about to mention it to her, though.

Donna had parked the TARDIS on the correct floor and they ran inside. Rory shut the doors behind him.

"Are we safe in here?," he asked.

"'Course we are, why wouldn't we be?," asked the Doctor.

"Because it's made of wood!"

"You're still not following this," said the Doctor shaking his head.

"Okay, genius," said Donna, checking on Zara who had fallen asleep in the baby seat, "what are you going to do?"

"We need something to do to everyone what Rory has done, we need to find a way to block the higher reasoning capacities of every human on Earth. Think! What makes people stupid?"

"Are you serious now?," asked Donna.

"How are we supposed to think of a way to make everyone on Earth stupid?," asked Rory.

"How should I know? You two are the experts here! Oh, and try to be quick because if you don't you two are the only non-enslaved members of the human race."

"Oh, no pressure then," said Rory.

"What's that supposed to mean?," asked Donna. "Am I supposed to shack up with him? Because I'm not."

"What? Why would I suggest that?"

"How should I know?"

The Doctor sighed. "Just think of an image, something that interrupts all rational thought..."

"Amy?," asked Rory.

"Yeah, but that's not going to work for everyone. Think!" He looked at the TARDIS monitor. "And you might want to think quickly because the slave ships are almost here."

"Fine," groaned Donna, "things that make you stupid. I don't know... Daft Martians?"

"Donna! I'm not asking for the world here, just something to distract people for a minute, maybe two or three, if we can just interrupt the signal it'll collapse with the destruction I've already done to the transmitter."

"So, you need a two minute distraction?," asked Rory.

"Yeah, basically."

Rory swallowed. "Don't suppose YouTube would work?"

"YouTube!," shouted Donna. "You can be on there for hours before you ever realized what's happening!"

* * *

><p>Rhys was surprised to find himself walking next to Jack in the street with thousands of strangers when he came to, they were both staring at a video of a kitten falling over being projected in the sky.<p>

"What the hell's going on?," Rhys asked Jack.

"No idea," Jack laughed.

* * *

><p>"How's it going?," the Doctor shouted to Donna.<p>

Donna stood in the TARDIS doorway hovering somewhere over London, looking out over the hundreds of thousands of people walking below.

"Not quite everybody! Have you got that one with the gerbil?," she asked.

"The one with the gerbil?"

"Yeah," said Rory, "with the Doctor Evil music."

The Doctor groaned. "Time was I took down empires, now I'm searching for the gerbil video with the Doctor Evil music... Tell you what, I'm just going to put stupid into the search engine and play it on a loop."

The Doctor walked over to join Rory and Donna in the doorway. The slave ships were flying off. The Doctor looked up at what video was playing next.

"So, the baby bites his older brother? And the parents are just there recording it?," he asked. "That is stupid."

"Why has your ship got a giant projector?," asked Rory. "And how's it doing it around the world?"

"Oh, she's full of surprises," said the Doctor.

"Your ship's a she?," asked Rory.

"Of course it is," said Donna. "He loves women who boss him about."

* * *

><p>Rory paced frantically around the sitting room of the Smith House. The Doctor sat on the sofa with another slice of banana cake as the party guests started coming back in.<p>

"Seriously, Doctor, how many times are you going to play the gerbil video?," asked Jack.

"A few more hours, just until I'm sure the aliens are gone," said the Doctor.

Jack sat down next to the Doctor. "Who were they?"

"Not sure still..." he took a bite of banana cake thoughtfully. "They said they were fleeing something called the Silence. Ever heard of it?"

"No," said Jack, "not that I can remember."

"Funny thing is, though, Pearsall, before he killed himself he said 'Silence will fall.'"

"Silence will fall? What is that supposed to mean?"

"No idea..."

"That's helpful," said Jack. "I'll keep my ears open and maybe talk to some of my sources at the Rift, but tonight, I've got a date."

The Doctor looked up to see Martha and Amy chatting as they came back in.

"So," said Amy, "are you going to kill us or retcon us or can Captain Jack and I go out?"

The Doctor looked at Rory looking forlorn. Why didn't he just tell her?

"I think we can let you go safely..." said the Doctor. "That is, if you want to."

"What do you mean if I want to?," asked Amy.

"Ever wanted to see the universe?"

"What? You mean like outer space?"

"No, I mean like time and space, anywhere, everywhere, any place that was, any place that ever will be. Interested?"

"Um, let's see, yeah," said Amy. "Assuming you're not mad."

"He is mad," snorted Jack.

"Rory, how about you?," asked the Doctor.

Rory looked up like this was a total surprise. "Me? In space? I can't go."

"Sure you can," said the Doctor.

"Yeah, why not?," asked Amy.

"I have work," said Rory.

"So? I've got a time machine."

"He's got a time machine..." Amy turned back. "You have a time machine?"

"Did you miss the whole speech about any place that ever was? I thought it was sort of good."

"Yeah, I heard it, but it just sounds different when you say 'I've got a time machine.'"

"Rory, a word," said the Doctor.

The Doctor steered Rory to the kitchen.

"Here's the thing, Rory, you can stay here, go to work, take two weeks holiday a year and live your ordinary life and I can almost guarantee you that you are never going to work up the courage to tell your best friend you love her. Come with me and I guarantee you, you're going to get brave."

"How do you know that?," asked Rory.

"Because you lot always do."

"So?," asked Amy, poking her head in the kitchen. "Are you coming, Rory?"

Rory turned and looked at Amy. "Yeah, I'm coming."

Martha poked her head in. "Doctor, does Donna know you invited guests?"

"Oh, right," said the Doctor. "Suppose it's my turn to be brave then."

* * *

><p>After the Earth was saved, Donna had roused Zara to feed her a little dinner and start her on her nighttime routine. They had a good one, she thought, sometimes interrupted by the need to save a galaxy. Dinner, bath and two stories. Usually one was in High Gallifreyan and Donna tried to follow along- luckily the TARDIS had picture books-, but tonight both were in English since the Doctor was busy tying up loose ends from saving the world. Just her and Zara, she could sense the new baby inside of her sleeping contentedly as she gave Zara her latest lullaby stylings of Lady Gaga. Finally, it was time to put Zara in her cot.<p>

"There's my one year old girl," she cooed softly. "You had a very exciting day today, didn't you? Then again, most of your days are pretty exciting. You're going to sleep well, aren't you?"

"Story."

"You already got two." Donna looked up to see the Doctor in the doorway.

He walked in and leaned over the cot railing to take Zara's hand. "Pretty girl. Did you have a good birthday?"

Zara nodded sleepily.

"Tired, aren't you?" He rubbed her cheek. "Just close your eyes then, alright?"

Zara closed her eyes and the TARDIS hummed soothingly. The Doctor took Donna's hand and led her back through the door to their bedroom.

"So," said the Doctor, "I've got something to ask."

"Yeah?," asked Donna sitting on the bed. "Last time you had something to ask, I ended up having dreams about the TARDIS throwing pregnancy tests at me."

"It's about Amy and Rory."

"Oh, no," said Donna, "we don't need younger, sexier gingers running around here."

"She's not sexier," said the Doctor. "Look, Rory is in love with her."

"Well, duh!"

"Of course, she thinks they're just mates. Reckon you know anything about that?"

Donna rolled her eyes at him playfully. "It always starts out like that then before you know it you're getting married because an alien court said you had to."

"He just needs to screw up the courage to tell her and I figure travelling through time and space is a good way to build character in a lad." He paused. "Besides, we need help. You can't go running after me in your current condition. Just temporary guests."

"Not saying I disagree," said Donna, "but is that all this is about? You aren't the least bit curious why someone is trying to push us together?"

Donna smirked at the Doctor's silence. He looked up at her smirk.

"Okay, well, aren't you?"

"I am. Just not curious enough to risk having my husband next to a girl in a ridiculously short skirt.

"I said you were sexier."

"Is that so?," asked Donna.

"Want me to tell you how?"

Donna looked at him, he was definitely staring at her chest. She looked at him sternly.

"If she starts making lovey dovey eyes at you, I am dropping her off wherever the TARDIS lands. It may not even land first."

* * *

><p>Donna and the Doctor walked into the console room. Amy and Rory were there standing next to the pile of Zara's presents.<p>

Amy held a plastic container. "I brought the rest of the banana cake."

"So," began the Doctor, "normally we go through all of time and space and go on forever, but Donna's having a baby in a couple of months and we have an understanding."

"The understanding being I'm not giving birth in a space cave," said Donna.

"So, there's going to be a slight break then, not my usual thing, but we can have adventures for a little while, can't we?"

"Are there rules or something?," asked Rory.

"Rules... well, don't wander off for starters," said the Doctor.

"Make sure he doesn't get himself killed for seconds," said Donna. "Oh, and call your families and tell them something because he'll never remind you..."

"Yeah, best to listen to Donna about that sort of thing..." The Doctor turned to the console. "So, Amy, want to see how she works?"

"She?," asked Amy.

"Yeah," said Rory, "the ship's a girl."

"Anyway," said the Doctor, "allons-y!'

"What?," asked Amy.

"Hang on," said Rory.

Amy fell back as the TARDIS moved, Rory caught her. The Doctor grinned.

"Welcome aboard!"

* * *

><p>So, I hope this isn't confusing, but I'm going to continue the series of DoctorDonna/Amy/Rory adventures and look for the next one to be titled "Planet of the Gingers."


End file.
